Randy Savage: More Than Just a Wrestler (A Tribute to the Macho Man)

There are some athletes that transcend sports. These special examples become larger than life personas and we remember them for years to come.

In the world of Professional Wrestling, Randy "Macho Man" Savage was no exception. Whether you remember him for his title reigns, his Slim Jim commercials or his role as Bonesaw McGraw in Spiderman, Randy Savage was one of the most memorable characters in and out of the ring. His larger than life persona entertained millions for over 30 years.

To me personally, Savage was one of my all-time favorites. As a child of the attitude era in the 90s and a huge WWE homer, the prime of his career was long before my time. However, with the help of YouTube, I was lucky enough to enjoy some of his best moments.

There were many reasons I, as a fan, was drawn to him. A term that is thrown around a lot today is "swagger," and to me, no other professional wrestler had more swagger than Randy. Whether it was the flair of his attire, being escorted by the most beautiful vallet in wrestling at the time in Miss Elizabeth, or whether it was the promos he would cut before and after matches; Randy Savage was the total package of what every wrestler should be.

He had the ability, mic skills, persona, swagger, and most of all, was actually willing to put other guys over. The big criticism of many superstars is an inability to do so. If you look at some of Savage's most memorable matches, such as WrestleMania III vs. Ricky Steamboat and WrestleMania VIII vs. Ultimate Warrior, Randy is actually on the losing end in order to put over the babyface.

Many people have less obvious reasons to be drawn to Randy Savage. For some, it was the unmistakable trademark raspy voice. The voice you could hear telling you to "Snap into a Slim Jim!" or yell out his trademark, "Oooh Yeeaaaah!!" Or perhaps it was that in an era dominated by Hulkamania, Randy's appeal brought an alternative to what may have grown stale to some fans.

Whatever the case, the wrestling world lost a great man on May 20, 2011, one that we as fans may never be lucky enough to see again.